


Oh, Happily Ever After

by bebestay



Category: Ever After High, Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Ever After High AU, fairy tale AU, i don't know what i was thinking when i wrote this but it somehow made five chapters, no beta-reader; we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:21:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22235488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bebestay/pseuds/bebestay
Summary: Destiny is not set in stone anymore. It has never been set in stone. Coincidences happen all the time. Fate only interferes from time to time, leading us in the right direction--As the son of the Evil Queen, the kingdom believed Changkyun to be most evil being in Ever After. So who's going to tell them that he's not his mom?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. Once Upon A Time...

**Author's Note:**

> a big thank you to joohoneyinmytea on tumblr for helping me decide which fairy tale each character belongs to! It was pretty difficult to do it on my own.  
> \--  
> title comes from the song 'Happily Ever After' by He Is We

**Minhyuk's Tale; the story of a Royal**

As the son of Snow White, Minhyuk had a lot on his plate this school year since it was Legacy Year. He was in charge of planning the event, the reception, and the after party with the help of his friends. Like Jooheon, son of Beauty and the Beast, who was helping load the cart with all the necessary decorations for the stage.

"It's it exciting, Jooheon," Minhyuk smiled as he pushed the cart. "Legacy Day is this year, and all the hard work me an dmy mom put in for my happily ever after will finally pay off."

"You're still going on about happily ever after?" Jooheon sighed. "Haven't you really ever thought that there's more than living every day page by page?"

"No, never. Mom was very adamant about me following my story through, even if that means Changkyun has to kill her to marry my dad." He paused. "Okay, maybe it's a little weird."

"Have you talked to him about this? I mean, you guys never really seemed like enemies ever since spellementary school."

"I'm sure he's fine with it. He is evil after all." An idea struck him. "Come on, there's a couple more things I need to get."

-

"Are you sure that he's gonna like this?" Jooheon asked, observing the evilly decorated half of the dorm.

"Of course!" Minhyuk was nearly bursting with excitement. "What future Evil King wouldn't?"

Half of the room was painted black and purple, decorated with an evil vanity and shelves, and more spooky decorations.

"I'm just saying that it might be a little much."

The door started to open and the two froze. Changkyun, son of the Evil Queen, fully stepped into the room, decked out in all his evil glory. He was confused by the stances of the two.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Welcome home," Minhyuk smiled as he snapped out of it, "roomie!"

"Very funny, Minhyuk. My roommate doesn't exist according to my assignment sheet."

"Nope! I spoke to Headmaster Grimm, and since you're such an important part of my story; you poison m, I fall asleep...

"The prince wakes you with a kiss blah-blah-blah, yada-yada I know!" He groaned and crossed his arms.

"So, I asked if we could room together and he said yes. Isn't that just hexcellent?"

"But-but..."

"You're gonna love rooming with me, I promise. Plus I already decorated, your half of the room." Changkyun let out another groan at the sight of his half. "Isn't just the evilest? I knew you'd love it."

"This is gonna be a long year," the boy sighed as he bergrudgingly accepted his predicament.

\---

Days went by and soon it was time for Legacy day rehearsals. Many descendants were lined up on the stage as Headmaster Grimm explained what they were to do. The podium sat behind him with a large book or reasonable amount of school rules.

"So when your magical key appears," he started, "you insert it into the Storybook of Legends, then stand; shoulders back, and declare your destiny to the world! Are we clear?"

"But what if..." Changkyun tried to interject.

"None? Good. Who would like to go first?" With no surprise, Minhyuk stepped forward with his hand in the air. "Step this way," he handed him the rehearsal key and gave him a bow, "my future king."

"As the son of Snow White, I pledge to follow my destiny as the next Snow White!" He exclaimed with pride.

"Perfect," Headmaster Grimm before the others took their turns until it came to Changkyun. "Changkyun, it's your turn."

The boy stepped forward, shakily took the key from his hand and stepped up to the podium.

"As the son of the Evil Queen," he stuttered out, "I pledge to follow my destiny as...um...I have a question."

"What is it?" Headmaster Grimm sighed.

"I was just wondering, I mean, what if I don't want to take the pledge?"

Gasps were heard from all around the rehearsal stage, but no one was freaking out more than Minhyuk.

"Kyun, you have to do it," he pushed. "I mean, if-if you never poison me, then I'll never fall asleep, and-and then I'll never find my true love, and I'll never become king, and I'll never get my happily ever after!"  
Changkyun's gaze turned cold before he dropped the prop key and ran off stage. Minhyuk fell to the floor, tears in his eyes. All his mother ever wanted for him

was a happily ever after, and if Changkyun couldn't give him that, he just became the most evil Evil King in history by taking away the one thing the Prince wanted more than anything.

-

Minhyuk sat on the stage long after everyone left, letting his heels bump the stage. A set of footsteps brought him out of his thoughts.

"Oh, Headmaster Grimm,. What can I do for you?" He asked, immediately switching into court mode.

"Forgive me for startling you, but I need you to keep an eye on your roommate," he said. "I f we do not follow the paths set for us, our world may very well be in danger. Please do try and convince him of this as I know you'll do whatever it takes."

The Headmaster didn't give the prince a chance to answer before he walked away and left him with his thoughts.

* * *

**Changkyun's Tale; the story of a Rebel**

As the son of the Evil Queen, Changkyun had a lot riding on his shoulders. Ever since his mother was locked away for trying to take over all of Ever After, the whole kingdom believed him to be just like her. Sure, he has these powers and abilities but it's not like he uses them for evil purposes. Besides, he can't use it to its full potential until after Legacy Day.

"You sure that you're not gonna rethink it?" Kihyun, son of the Little Mermaid, asked as they walked on to campus with their luggage.

"As much as I love my mom even though she's the bane of Ever After," Changkyun sighed, "her ending doesn't seem right for me. Besides, I don't think I have a purely evil bone in my body. Mom got locked up when I was a baby, remember? Dad taught me to be good and only use my powers for simple stuff. Like this." With a snap of his fingers, their luggage vanished in a flash of purple. "No more heavy lifting."

"Show off."

They continued walking towards the main entrance. Changkyun kept his view forward as the crowd of other fairy tales parted to let him through.

 _What a warm welcome_ , he thought bitterly.

-

After grabbing his room assignment, he found his luggage on a cart by the front of the gymnasium and pushed it through the halls. According to his papers, his roommate was still unassigned. With any luck, he'd have a room to himself. Who would want to room with the future Evil King?

Opening the door, he found Jooheon and Minhyuk standing in the middle of the room. An odd sight, but not surprising. Everyone always acted like this when he stepped into a room.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Welcome home," Minhyuk smiled as he snapped out of it, "roomie!"

"Very funny, Minhyuk. My roommate doesn't exist according to my assignment sheet."

"Nope! I spoke to Headmaster Grimm, and since you're such an important part of my story; you poison m, I fall asleep...

"The prince wakes you with a kiss blah-blah-blah, yada-yada I know!" He groaned and crossed his arms.

"So, I asked if we could room together and he said yes. Isn't that just hexcellent?"

"But-but..."

"You're gonna love rooming with me, I promise. Plus I already decorated, your half of the room." Changkyun let out another groan at the sight of his half. "Isn't just the evilest? I knew you'd love it."

"This is gonna be a long year," the boy sighed as he begrudgingly accepted his predicament.

\---

Days went by and soon it was time for Legacy day rehearsals. Many descendants were lined up on the stage as Headmaster Grimm explained what they were to do. The podium sat behind him with a large book or reasonable amount of school rules.

"So when your magical key appears," he started, "you insert it into the Storybook of Legends, then stand; shoulders back, and declare your destiny to the world! Are we clear?"

"But what if..." Changkyun tried to interject.

"None? Good. Who would like to go first?" With no surprise, Minhyuk stepped forward with his hand in the air. "Step this way," he handed him the rehearsal key and gave him a bow, "my future king."

"As the son of Snow White, I pledge to follow my destiny as the next Snow White!" He exclaimed with pride.

"Perfect," Headmaster Grimm before the others took their turns until it came to Changkyun. "Changkyun, it's your turn."

The boy stepped forward, shakily took the key from his hand and stepped up to the podium.

"As the son of the Evil Queen," he stuttered out, "I pledge to follow my destiny as...um...I have a question."

"What is it?" Headmaster Grimm sighed.

"I was just wondering, I mean, what if I don't want to take the pledge?" Gasps were heard from all around the rehearsal stage, leaving him confused. "What? It's just a question.!"

"And here's your answer, young man. If you don't pledge your destiny, your story ceases to exists."

"Ceases to exist? So then...what happens to me?"

"You and your story will cease to exist. Poof!" He scared him backwards. "No, Changkyun, continue."

Minhyuk tried to plead with him, but nothing could change the Evil Son's mind. Changkyun's gaze turned cold before he dropped the prop key and ran off stage. 

\--

Changkyun ran and ran until the school was far behind him. His heart raced and his vision grew red as magic burned at his finger tips, needing to get out. He entered the old dragon games arena, long abandoned after the games were disbanded with the decline of dragons. Standing in the middle of the field, he let loose and shot the heads off several statues with his rage.

Evil energy radiated off of Changkyun as more and more statues turned to dust. He powered up one more bolt as a hand clapped down on his shoulder. Turning around, he nearly sent the blast into the face of Mr. Bigby BadWolf - the Big Bad Wolf himself - in his wolf form.

"Breathe, Changkyun," the teacher said. "Control your anger."

The two stood in the field, breathing deeply until the glow of power dimmed out from Changkyun's finger tips. He looked at his teacher, a sad expression on his face.

"I heard about what happened at Legacy Day rehearsal." Changkyun was confused. "Hyunjin told me what happened." The boy nodded. "While I cannot condone what Headmaster Grimm said to be 100% correct or true, what Minhyuk said was uncalled for. Everyone's destinies are different and have a different burden to bear." Mr. BadWolf put his other hand on his shoulder, making the boy look him in the eyes. "He's been led down his path while you had to find yours ever since your mother was locked away. Try not to hold it against him, alright?"

"Yes, sir," Changkyun sighed.

* * *

Legacy Day, the most important day of the year, was swiftly approaching. The day where the students of Ever After High sign the Storybook of Legends, pledging to follow the paths of their fairy tale parents. Many were sure in their paths, but Changkyun was still conflicted. The other students were staring at him more than normal and more whispers were thrown in before finding a familiar face in the crowd. 

"Minho," he called out, "you have to help me. Despite what the Headmaster said, I feel like I can sign the Storybook of Legends, but I don't want to let everyone down either."

"And let's not forget the whole story-go-poof-thing," Minho, son of the Mad Hatter, said. "It's a real thing, and its gotta hurt."

"We don't know if that's 100% true."

"But what if it is?"

"What if it's not?"

"But what if it is?"

"Minho, you're not helping."

"Wait a tick!" The Hatter said with a snap. "I think I know who can help."

As the two walked away, Minhyuk spotted them and turned away from his conversation with Eric, son of Goldielocks.

"Changkyun!" He called out. "We have to talk!" Changkyun grabbed Minho's hand and took off running. "Wait! Come back!"

"Where are you going?" Eric asked, swiping away on his mirrorpad.

"I have to convince Changkyun to sign the book! My destiny depends on it!" The prince took off after the evil prince and the hatter tailing them into the library, but when he entered, they were no where to be found. "Changkyun?"

What he didn't see was Minho knock on a staff only door and a ribbon of magic pull them in. The two were now in the catacombs of the school, traveling further down until it opened in to a cave. A man stood in the clearing, staring at a pool of water before turning to face them.

"Feathers and friends!" He said with a bow. "Together, alone!"

"I forgot you speak riddlish, my friend," Minho clapped his hands in excitement as he turned to Changkyun. "He was cursed with the babble spell. Makes him sound a little...crazy." He twirled a finger around his temple. "Anyway, he says it's nice to have us here."

"Thank you," Changkyun sent a nod to the man. "Can you ask him about the book? If I don't sign, am I really gonna disappear?"

"Sure. Mr.Grimm? Can the musical chair change its tone when the tablet of granite is inscribed with a bone?"

"Hmmm...." Giles Grimm tapped his chin in thought. "The king who sings with pages of sky fears too much the dawn that rises with lies."

"There's something wrong with the book," Minho translated, "and that if you don't sign, your story will continue..."

"Really? Thats fanta--"

"I think."

"What?!" Changkyun's eyes flared purple. "What do you mean you think?"

"Hey, Riddlish is not an exact language."

\--

Legacy Day was finally here. Those eligible to sign were lined up across the back of the stage, dressed in their best clothes, in front of the other students and people of Ever After. The lights felt like they were melting Changkyun into a puddle as student after student pledged to follow their destinies. His turn was one person away, and that was his supposed "arch enemy," Minhyuk.  
With a smile, the son of Snow White approached the stand with several birds taking perch on the podium. A bright smile was on his face as his key appeared in front of him.

"As the son of Snow White, I pledge to follow my destiny as the next Snow White!" He exclaimed, proudly

Minhyuk took the key and unlocked the book. Images appeared on the page of scenes to come; Changkyun poisoning him, him being awoken, him sentencing him to prison, and living life as the perfect king of Ever after. A small ache pulled at his heart, but as the quill appeared, the feeling went away. His smile brightened as eagerly signed the page as the crowd cheered for him. He passed Changkyun as he returned to his spot, feeling confident that the other would sign.

The warlock slowly stepped up to the podium and the crowd went silent. His eyes were drooping as his key appeared in front of him.

"As the son of the Evil Queen," he stuttered out, "I pledge...um...I..."

"Come on," he heard Minhyuk whisper from behind him.

He continued to stutter as he took the key and unlocked the book. Images appeared and sent his heart into a state of fear, each one worse than the last. As Minhyuk would live a glamorous life as king, Changkyun would suffer in prision before becoming homeless and stuck dancing in the iron shoes forever. The final image had him in chains and locked away in a tall tower. The quill appears, floating closer for him to take it, but Changkyun has had enough.

"As the son of the Evil Queen, I'm going to write my own destiny!" He took the book in his hands, holding it high. "My Happily Ever After starts now!"

As he slammed the book closed with his signature line remaining blank, the lights around the stage shattered and plundged the crowd into darkness as half of the crowd cheered and the other half began to panic. Changkyun looked at the book in his hands before inspecting himself.

"I'm still here," he breathed before facing Headmaster Grimm. "I didn't disappear!"

"How could you be so...so selfish?" Minhyuk said with tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Minhyuk," He started. The crowd started to boo at Changkyun for his choice as others continued to cheer and it became too much. "HOLD EVERYTHING!" With a burst of magic, Changkyun froze the crowd and everyone around him. The world went silent as he looked his hands. "I didn't know I could do that." Looking to Minhyuk, he unfroze the prince in order to explain his situation.

"I'm sorry Minhyuk, but I don't want anyone to tell me who to be. I want to figure that out on my own terms. Besides, I'm not the only one who can choose their own destiny now. All of us can, even you."

"Changkyun, I don't want to choose a new destiny. I liked the one I had, and because of you, it might not happen."

The Prince ran off stage, his face streaming with tears.

Changkyun looked back to the crowd, scanning the division he had created. Upon finding Minho, he unfroze his friend.

"Wow!" Minho smiled as he ran on stage. "You're still here! No poof, poof, POOF!"

"It feels good! It feels like my story now!" Changkyun chuckled before sighing and geturing to the crowd. "How long do you think I should leave them like this?"

The two laughed as Minhyuk continued to run away from the stage, not knowing this would forever cause a division among the students of Ever After High. All because Changkyun stood up for what he believed was right and tempted fate.

"Yo narrators!" Minho yelled to the sky. "We're trying to have a moment here! So don't go accusing Changkyun of anything, okay?"

_Whoops, forgot you could hear me..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current Cast:  
> Monsta X  
> Changkyun/I.M - Son of the Evil Queen  
> Minhyuk - Son of Snow White  
> Jooheon - Son of Beauty and the Beast  
> Kihyun - Son of the Little Mermaid
> 
> Stray Kids  
> Minho - Son of the Mad Hatter


	2. Something Wicked

A few days after Legacy Day, some were treating Changkyun like a hero or an enemy as he walked through the halls. So, nothing too new. At least, Minhyuk and him were on good enough terms to sleep in the same dorm room.

* * *

He was in Music Spells and Enchantments 101 when he got a breath of air from the stares and whispers.

"Professor Piper, can you show us that melody again?" asked Hyungwon, son of the Cheshire Cat.

"Hyungwon! you know what happens when---" Changkyun was interrupted by the trill of a flute and a cascade of rats. "---he plays the flute."

"Oh rats, I forgot." 

Hyungwon disappeared, leaving behind only a grin for Changkyun and Professor Piper to frown at.

" _Changkyun, please report to Baba Yaga's office_ ," the P.A. system sounded.

"Me?" Changkyun asked.

_"Yes, you."_

The warlock glared at the speaker as he gathered his stuff and slunk out of the classroom.

-

"Madam Yaga, is everything..." He entered her office to find Headmaster Grimm, Minhyuk, Minho, and Hyunjin sitting in a semi-circle in the middle of the room. "Um, okay?"

"Changkyun, please take a seat," Baba Yaga said as he sat in a lone chair. "Now, as a faculty advisor, it's my job to meet with the...umm..."

"Troubled students," the headmaster interjected.

"I'm not troubled!" Changkyun defended.

"Changkyun, please." He crossed his arms, but let Baba Yaga continue to speak. "We're here to lead you back down the wrong path. Why don't your friends explain? Minhyuk, why don't you go first?"

"Certainly, Madam Yaga," the heir said. "Changkyun, I adore you, but the other day you spilled that ever lasting black ink all over my new armor."

"That was an accident," the warlock stuttered out. "I felt really bad, and I said I was sorry like a hundred times!"

"You're not supposed to apologize! You're evil."

"How many time do I have to---"

"Changkyun," the woman said, "you're here to listen." Changkyun sunk lower in his seat. "Minho, your turn."

"I really have nothing to say," the hatter said as his doormouse, Dori, climbed onto his shoulder, "Changkyun is wicked awesome the way he is. And you didn't tell me, we were here to belittle him. I was told there was going to be a tea party."

"I lied. Hyunjin?"

"Off!" Shouted the Red Queen's son. "With his Head!"

The group started to bicker among themselves causing Changkyun's head to pulse with a headache. A low growl builds in his throat as the room goes quiet.

"Changkyun?" Minho says with caution.

"WHAT?" He lashes out, a burst of magic filling the room. "Minho, Hyunjin, I have nothing against you since you know why I did what I did. But you, Minhyuk, if had seen the images on my page in the Storybook of Legends, you'd be singing a whole different tune with that little bird chorus that sings at our window at sunrise; which I do not appreciate, by the way. So you and the rest of the Royals can keep going against me until your blue in the face, but until one of you has lived the life I have where nothing is served to me on a silver platter, don't even try to change my mind."

The room was silent until a cluck was heard through the room. From behind Baba Yaga, Headmaster Grimm emerged with his own head but the body of a chicken.

"Now, that's what we're looking for from an Evil Queen. I think we've made some real progress," he said, pretending that he didn't hear the whole spiel. Changkyun groaned and stormed out of the office. "Wait! Changkyun, how do I change back? Changkyun?!"

Maybe one afternoon as a chicken was a close enough revenge for Changkyun for now.

* * *

Changkyun blindly walked into his next class early, Home Evilnomics, and sat at his desk. Mr. BadWolf was the teacher and dropped his wolf form when the boy entered the empty classroom.

"I take it things are still tense from Legacy Day," the teacher said.

"You have no idea," Changkyun sighed. "My story didn't go poof and everyone who's tied to it is still here. I just don't see why that's not enough proof for Headmaster Grimm to see that the Storybook of Legends is bullhonk."

"Language."

"You've said worse." He tapped his fingers on the desk, studying the notes already on the board. "I mean, you didn't complete your story. You were supposed to die, so what's the big deal if I don't follow mine?"

"I merely lived a version of my fairy tale, Changkyun. In some the wolf dies and in some the wolf survives. In your tale however, you would always lose by death or the iron shoes. No matter what, you're supposed to lose and that's the sad reality of the villains' children."

He had said too many points that Changkyun agreed with. All of them were why he rejected his destiny in the first place.

"Mr. BadWolf," he said, "has anyone ever tried to go against the page when you were in school?"

"A few, but they all waited until their stories were over to move on with their lives."

* * *

Minhyuk waited in the dorm after class for Changkyun to return. They really had to talk about what happened earlier as he couldn't get the words out of his mind.

His mirror rang, shaking him out of his thoughts. It was his mother.

"Once upon a hi, mom," he smiled as he picked up.

"Hello my heart," Snow White responded. "I just wanted to check-in and see how you were doing after everything that happened at Legacy Day." Minhyuk hummed in understanding. "I honestly don't know what's gotten into that boy. I guess I could chalk it up to his father raising him since the Evil Queen got locked away."

"You mean grandfather?"

"No, darling. The Evil Queen never had children with your grandfather. They never married. In fact, She married someone else before having her sons."

"Sons? Changkyun has a brother?"

"The better term to use is had. His older brother was reported missing when you were about four. No one knows if he's even alive at this point." Minhyuk looked away. "Frankly, I was surprised the Evil Queen had another son."

"Mom," he said. "Are you saying that Changkyun's destiny isn't even originally his?"

"Well, I'm not sure. His brother could've followed their father, whoever he was."

"This makes so much sense now! Why he didn't want to sign the book and why he doesn't want his destiny! It's not his!"

"Now Minhyuk..."

The dorm's door started to open.

"Gotta go mom!" He hung up and sat on his bed as if nothing happened. "Welcome back, roomie!"

"Hi Minhyuk," Changkyun sighed before looking at him. "You're up to something."

"No I'm not." He recieved a raised eyebrow. "Okay, fine. I just got off a call with my mom, and she let it slip that you once had a brother."

He was confused before realizing what Minhyuk implied.

"Look, despite what she told you, I have hope that he's alive. We live in a world full of impossibilities, so my hope isn't too far fetched."

"I know, I know, but now I realize why you're so against your destiny."

"You are?"

"Yes. Your destiny wasn't yours to begin with. With the hope you have of your brother being alive, you don't want to take his destiny from him."

"Minhyuk," he sighed, falling on to his own bed, "you couldn't be farther from the truth. Goodnight."

With a snap of his fingers, the lights were extinguished and that was the end of the conversation.

* * *

The school remained divided as the rift between the two principals of Snow White grew more and more each day. Snow White and Headmaster Grimm would continue to push for Minhyuk to do whatever in order to receive his happy ending, even if it meant betraying the trust he had just fixed.

The prince walked into the castleteria, the room went silent as he took a seat with Jooheon; Chan, one of the three sons of King Charming; Hyunwoo, son of one of the twelve dancing princesses - he can't remember which; and Jeongin - son of Pinocchio. They were discussing what happened Legacy day.

"If you ask me," Chan said, "Changkyun ruined Legacy Day."

"I love to interrupt," Hyungwon said, appearing next to Jeongin, "but Changkyun wants to write his own happily ever after. I, for one, have to commend him. Have you all really never thought about who your stories step upon? How so many of you aren't following your stories already?"

"What do you know about happily ever afters, cat? You almost get executed several times in your story."

"Chan don't listen to him," Hyunwoo said. "He's just here to cause more mischief."

Hyungwon disappeared and left his grin, sending a chill down the youngest's spine.

"I know that I'm not a royal or anything," Jeongin stuttered out, "but he does kind of have a point. I mean, I get turned halfway into a donkey and swallowed by a whale. However, I never thought about the other children who get turned into donkeys."

A moment of silence covered them.

"Now, I'm inclined to agree," Hyunwoo sighed. "I may not have to suffer the fate, but whoever I dance with when my story comes true will be cursed to dance for eternity once its finished." He looked at Minhyuk. "How many people have unfortunate ever afters?"

Minhyuk couldn't answer that question. His mother never spoke about anyone but the upperclass to him, no matter how many times he asked about the lower towns. If he were to follow his story through, he should've been cleaning the palace since he was a boy. How many of us were going against their story already?

"Minhyuk," Chan's voice broke him from his own mind, "don't even think about it. You heard what Hyunwoo said, Hyungwon's just trying to stir up chaos. He IS the Cheshire Cat's son."

\---

Changkyun sat at his desk in his dorm to finish his homework and take his mind off the growing rift. He tried to drown out other sounds with some heavy music, but a knock interrupted his work. He used his magic to open the door for them to come in. He was surprised to see Mr. BadWolf enter.

"Oh," he said "hey Mr. BadWolf. Isn't this breaking some kind of school code?"

"It would be," he said shifting from wolf to human, "but right now, it's a father visiting his son."

"Minhyuk could've been here."

"I've seen his schedule. He's at lunch before he heads to Crownculus 102. We have at least an hour and a half to talk." Changkyun let out a heavy breath, but smiled all the same. "Now, tell dear ol' dad what's on your mind?"

"I've griped about what's been on my mind everyday since it happened. Why do you think I'm hiding in my dorm?" He threw a pen down on to his desk. "The minute I step out that door I'm either ridiculed by the royals or praised by the rebels. I just wanted to show Headmaster Grimm that our lives aren't controlled by a stupid book." Bigby took a seat on Changkyun's bed, listening to his son. "Stories can be retold and rewritten from different points of view, why must we stick to the same old rhyme?"

"Yes, Headmaster Grimm spoke to me about your grievances with the system," Mr. BadWolf sighed. "Something occured in his childhood that set the idea of perfectly following one's story will prevent things from going awry. He's scared that by going off the page, no one will get hurt."

"It has to do with Giles in the catacombs, doesn't it? His babble spell?" His father nodded. "He doesn't have to takeout his mistake on us though. Time changes things."

"I know that you're tired, but you can't let it affect you. As much as I'd like to help and assist you, both of us are in hiding until the page deems it to be revealed." Mr. BadWolf stood up and went to embrace his son. "Even if you are forced to poison Minhyuk by the queen herself, I will fight fang and claw to prevent you from being locked away forever. I know your brother would be happy to hide you away."  
Changkyun leaned into his father's hold and shut his eyes.

"I miss him."

"I miss him too. I just wish I could've sent you to him before your powers manifested."

A moment of silence passed before the dorm's front door opened. The father and son separated as Bigby shifted back into Wolf form. Minhyuk stepped in the room, shocked to see the teacher in their dorm.

"Thank you for the talk, Mr. BadWolf," Changkyun said. "I'll see you at class tomorrow." The teacher nodded left the dorm as he went to defend himself. "It's not what you think it is!"

"I'm not one to judge, Changkyun," Minhyuk assured as he grabbed his textbook. "Forgot this. See you later."

As he left, Changkyun groaned and threw himself onto his bed. Things just got a whole lot weirder between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current Cast:  
> Monsta X  
> Changkyun/I.M - Son of the Evil Queen  
> Minhyuk - Son of Snow White  
> Jooheon - Son of Beauty and the Beast  
> Kihyun - Son of the Little Mermaid  
> Hyunwoo/Shownu - Son of the 12th Dancing Princess  
> Hyungwon - Son of the Chesire Cat
> 
> Stray Kids  
> Minho - Son of the Mad Hatter  
> Jeongin/I.N - Son of Pinocchio  
> Hyunjin - Son of the Red Queen/Queen of Hearts  
> Chan - Son of King Charming


	3. True Hearts Day

Long before Once Upon A Time, there was a holiday celebrated all throughout Ever After. True Hearts Day encouraged the occupants of Ever After to follow their hearts desires, whether it came to passions or love for another. The holiday has fallen out of favor after Headmaster Grimm banned the mention of the holiday from Ever After halls. However, no matter how hard he tried, there was always evidence left behind.

* * *

It was time for study hall, and Hoseok - son of Eros - skimmed the oldest section of the library to find more books on love and how it works. As the next Cupid, there was no better time than now to learn. Yet one book stood out from the rest. 

" _The History of True Hearts Day by Cupid?_ " He murmured as he took it off the shelf. "I've never even heard of this holiday or knew that dad was a published author. Why?" The book didn't even have a barcode or stamp card to check it out. "A little self-lesson never hurt anybody."  
  
So, he tucked the book into the pile of his own textbooks and left the library to study in the seclusion of his own dorm.

"Namjoon!" He said as he slammed the door open. "Guess what?!"

"What is it now?" His roommate, son of The Huntsman, replied. "Is it another book about love? Don't you have a whole bookshelf full of them?"

"This one's different." Shutting the door, he dumped the pile of books on their coffee table and pulled out the old book. "It's about True Hearts Day. We didn't celebrate anything like this at Monster High, so I had to know everything about it."

"Hate to break it to you, but Ever After stopped spellebrating that before any of us were born. Now, it's all about chocolate and spending the day with your destined aka 'remember-you're-single-day' for most of us." Namjoon was slumped on their couch, a comic book resting on his face. "The last generation to spellebrate it were our parents when they were in school."

"So, there's no one to ask about it?"

"Probably Headmaster Grimm or any of the teachers."

"Thanks, Joon. Gotta go. I have an idea."

The slam of the door surprised the Huntsman as he peeked out from under the comic. Hoseok was gone, but at least the dorm was quiet.

-

"A party? Didn't the last party get shut down by Mr. Wolf and Baba Yaga?" Kihyun asked as Hoseok was vibrating with excitement in front of him.

"Only because the Charming boys got a hold of the sound system and blasted their music," Hoseok defended. "From what I understand from this book, True Hearts Day fell out of practice when your parents graduated due to the Grimm's family influence. There must be a reason why Headmaster Grimm so against straying from the page, and this is just evidence number two. Here look." Flipping to about the middle of the book, he turned it towards Kihyun. " 'True Hearts Day encourages everyone to follow their hearts desire, even if that desire is against social norm.' And if we flip a little more... ' _The most surprising match was the Evil Queen and ....._ ' The name is scratched out, but do you know what his means?"

"That the Evil Queen brainwashed someone with a love potion?"

"Aren't you friends with Changkyun?"

"I'm on his side, but that doesn't mean I can't make a jab at his mom. I'm as against the grain as he is." Kihyun sighed. "I mean, I don't exactly wanna die by turning into sea foam as much as the next person."

"Anyway," Hoseok smiled, changing the subject back. "This means that several students here at Ever After High could be the children of stories gone OFF THE PAGE!"

He didn't notice that his voice got louder. Both of the boys ducked down a bit and looked around the Charmatorium. No one paid them any mind.

"Even if you're right, that doesn't give you the right to out them before their ready." Kihyun looked around once more, meeting eyes with Hyunwoo, and gave him a wave. "Though, there may be some truth in True Hearts Day. What do you need me to do?"

* * *

Minhyuk shut his locker, denying another boquet of flowers from one his many admirers that hoped to be his true love. He walked away and saw Changkyun sitting the front steps, students making a wide path around him.

"Hey," he said, tapping the warlock with his foot. "Happy True Hearts Day." The greeting wasn't filled with emotion. "What are you doing today?"

Changkyun shrugged and handed him an envelope before leaving the prince. Curious, Minhyuk opened it and was surprised.

You are cordially invited to celebrate True Hearts Day at Mermaid Grove at seven p.m. tonight. Please post a pink heart on your mirrornet social media to rsvp. Please do not share this information with anyone but your most trusted friends lest it reach Headmaster Grimm. Sincerely, Hoseok

"A True Hearts Day party?" Minhyuk thought. "Mom said the holiday was outlawed after she graduated since it promoted one to go off page. Why would Hoseok spellebrate it? Duh, son of the god of love. Makes sense."

* * *

In town, Changkyun stumbled into the Mad Hatter's Tea Emporium.

"Afternoon, Mr. Hatter!" Changkyun said as he walked up to the counter.

"Afternoon, Mr. Magic," the Hatter grinned. "Everyone's in the back. Earl Grey, today?"

"Thanks, and I'd like a Frozen Wonderland today actually. I've been a little warm in the face since leaving school."

"Of course, son. Feel better."

Bidding the mad man farewell, he walked into the back to find the rest of the Wonderland gang waiting for him. A long spanned the private room, covered in sweets, other snacks, and more teapots.

"There's the man of the week," Minho said. "Have a seat! There's something I must discuss." He took a seat as the invite was pulled out. "Hoseok is throwing a party and didn't ask me to cater. We all know how popular my tea cakes are and they'd be perfect for this party."

"I think it's because this party was so last minute," Seungmin, adopted son of the Queen of Hearts and brother to Hyunjin, said. "We never celebrated True Hearts Day like they do up here because everyday is True Hearts Day when you have a mom like ours." Hyunjin nodded. "Besides, you know that Momo can whip up a lot in a short amount of time."

"It really pays to be a Candy Witch, huh?" Changkyun said as his drink arrived.

"Like you're magic can't do anything along that scale," Hyungwon said.

"Wanna find out?"

"Stop fighting!" Minho yelled and pouted. "Peas and crackers."

"Are you guys going?" Hyunjin asked.

"I'm not. Why would I go to a party that spellebrates love when I'm not allowed to find my own?" Changkyun sipped his drink.

The mood became somber. All of them would find someone as their fairy tales were quite vague about their backgrounds and finales. They could go off and find love while he was doomed to be imprisoned for eternity.

"So, what are you gonna do then?"

"I don't know. Maybe catch up on homework, go visit dad since it's the weekend tomorrow, or rob a bank. I'll decide when I get to it."

* * *

Mermaid Grove was decorated in pinks, purples, and whites as Hoseok guided more and more helpers with set up. He continued to hold the book in his hand to use as reference.

"Are you still obsessed with that book?" Kihyun asked as he brought in the last box.

"I can't help it," he sighed. "There's just so much in here that make this world easier to understand. However, I'm still curious about who the Evil Queen gave her heart to since his or her name was scratched out. I doubt that I could access records or ask teachers about this."

"Actually, there is one." Hoseok looked up, all wide-eyed with excitement. "Mr. BadWolf was in Changkyun's dorm as far as Minhyuk told me. Maybe you can talk to him."

"You're the best, Kihyun. I'll be back in an hour. I trust that you can keep everyone in line." His voice raised at the end as he handed Kihyun the itinerary, noticing the fear in some of the volunteers' eyes. "Oh, before I go, I need you to call this number and make sure that the DJ is still clear for tonight."

"Sure." He looked at the page. "You got H.ONE? No one's ever been able to get him at any event since he appeared on the scene. I heard he always wears a mask when he performs."

Hoseok sent him a wink and left Mermaid Grove.

-

"Mr. BadWolf, I have a question." Hoseok said as he opened the door to the Evilnomics class room. Stepping in, he was surprised to find Changkyun sitting crossed-legged on the teacher's desk as Mr. BadWolf wrote notes on the board. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all, Hoseok," Mr. BadWolf said. "What can I help you with?"

"Before you even start," Changkyun said, "do I need to leave?"

"No, it's okay. Actually, I wanted to ask you as well." Hoseok walked up and placed the book on the desk. "Kihyun mentioned that Mr. BadWolf visited you in your dorm. From what I was told at orientation, only family and friends are allowed in the dorm due to a spell to prevent strangers from walking in. So Changkyun, I was wondering if your parents went off script to to have you?"

Changkyun looked at his father, only to receive a nod. The nod confirmed that things would be out in the open for the BadWolf family.

"He is the son of Cupid, the very god who introduced me to your mother. Now, what I tell you is not allowed to leave this classrom, ever," the teacher said as Hoseok took a seat at one of the desks. Once he received a nod, he continued on. "When I was around your age, no one was pushed to follow their fairy tale to the end. As long as they followed the main points, they were allowed to live as normal people afterwards. However, once the story of Snow White was done, Snow didn't want Elvira to have a happy ending since she couldn't have one herself."

"What do you mean?" Hoseok asked.

"Snow White's prince was not the man she fell in love with. Her heart belonged to another. Sadly, fate said otherwise and she was expected to rule over Ever After with him until the cycle repeated itself with her child."

"So, how did you and the Evil Queen get together?"

"Ah, Elvira and I..." Mr BadWolf smiled and leaned against his desk. "She wasn't always evil. In fact, Changkyun and her have the same personality; cold but caring. And as I said before, your father introduced Elvira and I before her rivalry with Snow began. The two of us were celebrated our first True Hearts Day just months before she signed the book but the story didn't play out until after the graduated. By that time, Elvira and I were proud parents to Changkyun's older brother.

"Snow was growing upset that her story hadn't happened yet and asked Elvira if they could get it over witt in order for her to be with her love. So Elvira said yes as she believed that getting the story over with would leave time for her and I to have our Ever After. Once it was over, Snow was furious that her prince wasn't her love. She couldn't bear to see the villain have a happily ever after before her." He sighed. "I did my best to save Elvira before she grew power hungry with revenge, but the madness in her grew until it was too late."

"And then she was locked in the mirror?"

"After she cursed Wonderland and attempted to take the Storybook of Legends for her own," Changkyun interjected. "The last thing she said to me during my last visit is that if there is no Storybook of Legends, there are no destinies to follow." He slunk off the desk and gathered his things. "Only Headmaster Grimm and Snow White are the ones who push for destinies to be followed to prevent happiness for some of us. It all comes down to if they can't be happy, no one's allowed."

"That's so sad," Hoseok leaned on his hand. "There is one more question. If you and the Evil Queen went off page and had children, why keep it a secret?"

"As of right now," Mr. BadWolf wrapped an arm around his son, "Headmaster Grimm has instilled the fear that going off page causes their story to go poof. Ever After isn't ready for the reality of life."

"Is there a possibility that there's more than just Changkyun as an off-page child?"

"Oh absolutely. You really thought Changkyun would be the only one?"

"I guess you have a point." Hoseok looked at the book. "If it is true and the Storybook of Legends is unnecessary, why is it still encouraged?"

"It hinders those with magical abilities from abusing their full stength. Changkyun won't get the full range of his magical powers until he signs the book."

"Which I'm not gonna do!" The boy interjected. "I'm very happy with powers as they are now, in control and minimal."

"I know you are, son. I'm just explaining."

Hoseok smiled at the father-son interaction, now understanding that everyone's story is different. Fairy tales were fine in finding their own path to walk and didn't need to adhere to a script anymore. Though he is known as the Evil Queen's son, Changkyun seemed to be destined for something more than his fairy tale. The son of Cupid just knew it.

"Hate to ruin a moment," the archer stood up and went to leave, "but I left Kihyun in charge of a thing and I have to make sure he didn't kill anyone."

"I should get going too," the warlock said. "H.ONE's gonna kill me if I'm not there for his tech run."

"You know who H.ONE is?"

"Ever since he posted his first song. He's an off page too. I guess you can say we had something to bond over."

* * *

That night, as the True Hearts Day party started, Minhyuk sat in his dorm talking to his mom on the mirrorpad.

"I just don't understand why you want to spellebrate this dumb holiday, love," Snow said.

"Maybe because I want to fall in love before I'm tied to someone for the rest of my life," he whined. "I get that you were ecstatic when you saw dad when you woke up, but I don't want to be disappointed when my Prince Charming is someone I don't love."

"Darling, look at the screen." Minhyuk tilted the screen to see his mother with a somber expression. "There are some things I've kept quiet about because I want you to get your happily after, but if Changkyun is for sure not going to sign the book, I think I need to tell you the truth about."

"What are you talking about?"

"Frederic isn't your father," she said bluntly. "You father is the man I loved all throughout my years at Ever After High. When Frederic realized that I would never love him the way he loves me, he offered me a quiet divorce when he found out about you and offered to rule Ever After together as co-ruler, not a king and queen. To the public, we are still happily married and you are his son. Minhyuk, you're an off page child. You were born before my fairy tale played out."

"So, who's my real father?"

"This really shouldn't be discussed over the mirrorpad," she tried to change the subject.

"If it wasn't, you wouldn't have started. Mom," Minhyuk was almost begging, "who is my father?"

"I guess you can say I was a little MAD when I met him. He doesn't even know you exist, and it should stay that way. Don't go seeking him and don't talk to his children. He still believes that I'm happy being married, even if it's not him." A moment of silence hung heavily between them. "I know it's a lot to process, son, but do not let this change who you are. You are my son and that is that."

The mirrorpad went dark and he was left with his reflection. His mother didn't answer his question. Was he doomed to forever question who his father was or was he closer than he thought?

"Hello?" He spoke to the air. "Who's there? What do you mean by 'am I closer that I thought?'"

_Wait...can you hear me?_

"Yeah. How can I do that?"

_You're a Wonderlandian?_

"What makes you say that?"

_The other Wonderlandians can hear and speak to me. Hyunjin, Hyungwon, Seungmin, and Minho; they can all hear me._

"Who are you?"

_I'm the narrator...Well, the daughter of the narrators. They kind of left me in charge of this story._

"So, you see everything? Can you tell me who my father is?"

_Unfortunately, I can't. My parents didn't leave me with a guide of whose parents are whose. All I know are the titles you have. That's why I was surprised that you could hear me. You never heard me before. ... Maybe the hint she gave you unlocked the ability. Other Wonderlandians could hear me from the minute they were born._

Minhyuk sighed and fell back on his bed, the narrator's daughter going silent in his head. This was the worst True Hearts Day ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current Cast:  
> Monsta X  
> Changkyun/I.M - Son of the Evil Queen  
> Minhyuk - Son of Snow White  
> Jooheon - Son of Beauty and the Beast  
> Kihyun - Son of the Little Mermaid  
> Hyunwoo/Shownu - Son of the 12th Dancing Princess  
> Hyungwon - Son of the Chesire Cat
> 
> Stray Kids  
> Minho - Son of the Mad Hatter  
> Jeongin/I.N - Son of Pinocchio  
> Hyunjin - Son of the Red Queen/Queen of Hearts  
> Chan - Son of King Charming  
> Seungmin - Adopted Son of the Red Queen/Queen of Hearts
> 
> BTS  
> Hoseok/JHope - Son of Cupid  
> Namjoon/RM - Son of the Huntsman


	4. Truth Be Told

As the school year was coming to a close, Ever After High found themselves preparing for the annual Spring Festival and Thronecoming. This was the time of year for the Wonderlandians to really show their stuff as they were in charge of decorations. This was really the only time of year they could make the kingdom look like their home. Ever since the Evil Queen cursed the entrance to Wonderland, no one could pass in or out. However, the few that reside in Ever After now are only here because they were able to escape before the door shut.

Yet, someone found a way.

* * *

Changkyun used his powers to put up the Maypole in the center of the plaza as Minhyuk directed the birds to attach the ribbons. The two have been treading on glass since True Hearts Day after Changkyun walked in to Minhyuk having a crisis. Both fear that the smallest word would break the other.

"I think that looks perfect," Minho said as he walked over. "Now all we need to do is set up the main table. Dad wants to open the festival with a kingdom-wide tea party."

The trio looked over at the mile long table, stretching from the base of the school steps and into town. They couldn't really tell where it ends.

"Is the table longer than last year?" Minhyuk asked.

"I'm not sure. The bookball team set it up this year."

"It looks longer." With a chuckle, the Hatter's son parted from the group and left them alone. "Did you go to the True Hearts Day party a couple weeks back?"

"I did," Changkyun said, "but only for H.ONE's set. I was in charge of the light show as he played."

"H.ONE was there?!" Minhyuk exclaimed. "And I missed it?!"

"It was a last minute thing, and you know how he is. Here one second, gone the next. It's kind of his thing." His voice trailed off as something caught his eye. A white clad figure ran up the path way, weaving in and out of the crowd. "Wonho!"

Changkyun took off running and scared Minhyuk frozen. The warlock moved faster than anyone had ever seen him move until he seemed to tackle the figure. They cried out in surprise and tried to pry the young man off of their back. It took a little bit but the best they could do was shift them to their front. They studied Changkyun's face before smushing their faces together. The young one had the brightest smile on his face anyone ever thought possible for the son of the Evil Queen.

"Oh, you've gotten so big!" The figured cooed, his cheek still pressed against Changkyun's. "I almost didn't recognize you!" He pulled back. "Though you are wearing a lot more black than I remember."

"It's a choice," Changkyun said, hopping down before latching on to his waist and resting his cheek on his shoulder. "I've missed you."

"I missed you too, Kyunnie. Have you been good for dad? How was Legacy Day?"

"I've been as good as I can be, but Seokie...I didn't sign the book."

"While I am glad you didn't sign it, you need to."

Minhyuk ran over, curious over this new arrival. As he approached, he noticed that the arrival was quite a built man and had white rabbit ears on the mystery person's head. Obviously, this must be the White Rabbit's son, but why is he topside and how did he get here?

"Umm...Kyun, who's this?" Minhyuk asked, catching his breath.

"Hi," the man stuck out his hand, "I'm Wonho, son of the White Rabbit."

"Nice to meet you." He shook his hand. "How did you get here? The Wonderland Curse?"

"That's actually why I'm topside. I found a way out," the two looked at him in surprise, "and I need to take Changkyun back with me."

"What's going on?" Changkyun asked. "Why do I need to sign the book?"

"The curse has gotten stronger, and since mom never put a limit on its time, it's about to close the the Wonderland Well."

The Wonderland Well was the source of all fun and wonder in Ever After. If it closed and dried up, the kingdom is all but doomed.

"What does this have to do with me signing the book? You know I can't do that."

"Kyunnie, you need your powers at their full potential. You need to undo the curse."

"But I don't know how. Besides, the book is under lock and key until Thronecoming in two weeks. We'll never convince Headmaster Grimm to just hand it over."

"That's where you're wrong." Wonho reached into his back and, surprisingly, pulled out the Storybook of Legends. "None of you have been pledging your destinies since mom trusted me with the book all those years ago."

"You mean she actually succeeded? But why curse Wonderland?"

"To stop a specific someone from retrieving it."

"Headmaster Grimm," they said in unison.

"Woah!" Minhyuk interjected. "Pause the narration and explain. Why is he referring to your mom as if she's his own? Why do you have the Storybook of Legends? And why is this all happening now?!"

Looking around, Wonho noticed that other students were looking at them. He sent them a smile, put away the book, and wrapped his arms around the younger two.

"Let's talk about this in your dorm," he said. "We've already discussed far too much out here."

"Can I go get dad first?" Changkyun asked.

-

Back in the dorm, Wonho sat between Bigby BadWolf and Changkyun; the younger still attached to his arm as Mr. BadWolf explained everything a little better.

"So you're telling me," Minhyuk paced the room, "that the Storybook of Legends I signed on Legacy Day is fake? That I'm not promised my happily ending after all? That Evil Queen was actually sane and sent the Storybook of Legends with her eldest son, who Changkyun told me was dead, to Wonderland and cursed to it to protect it?"

"First of all," Changkyun said, "I neither confirmed nor denied that he was dead. I just said you were far from the truth."

"Whatever. So now Chankgyun has to sign the actual Storybook of Legends to gain his full potential and reverse the curse?"

"Pretty much," Wonho said.

"Well, go on then. Sign the book."

"Minhyuk, it's not that simple. When Changkyun signs the book, it has to be because he chooses to. Everyone who has ever signed the book did so because they chose to. We can't force his hand." He could see the confusion in the prince's eyes. "Look, just because you have a destiny in this book doesn't mean that everyone else does. Only main or principal acts are in the book."

"Makes sense, but one question still remains." He looked at Wonho and Changkyun. "You two are brothers?"

With a chuckle, Wonho slipped the rabbit ears off of his head and waved around the headband with his free hand.

"I was eight years old when mom sent me off to Wonderland and when the Snow White tale was played out. My powers hadn't manifested yet but my wolf side had and it was very protective of Changkyun. So, they sent me away to learn how to control it and protect the real book. The White Rabbit was kind enough to raise me as one of his own and hide my true nature. To the rest of Ever After, I'm dead."

"I guess that answer my next question on if you were half brothers, but if you two are off-pages, why didn't the story go poof? Isn't the evil queen meant to marry my dad and proceed to make me the housemaid?"

"Minhyuk," Mr. BadWolf interjected. "The book is only meant to hold back on the true potential for magical users and to stop from stories being put into action too early. Once Snow and Elvira signed that book, the tale could play out at any moment."

"So, why is Headmaster Grimm so hellbent on getting this one?"

"If he gets his hands on this book, he can manipulate Ever After to his own bidding. He can make sure everyone continues living by the book. That's why his brother is locked in the catacombs. He went off script and got hurt. Milton proceeded to curse him with a babble spell to prevent the truth from getting out. I only know all of this because I studied riddlish from the Hatter when he first came topside."

Minhyuk sat on his bed, processing all that he's been told. It just made too much sense. The reason his mother so pushy about him getting a happy ending. She went off book and feared for the family's ever after. Now, she's ruling the land with a fake smile and story to keep the belief that staying on track meant a happy life.

"Can you stop narrating for two seconds?" He yelled at the ceiling.

_No, it's kind of my job._

"You can hear the narrators?" Wonho asked and he nodded. "You're half Wonderlandian. You're an off-page too! All three of us could show Headmaster Grimm that there is living proof that following one's heart won't result in the end of it all. We just need to figure out who your father is."

"Mother told me not to seek out my father, said it would be best if he never knew I existed. As far as anyone outside this room knows, my parents are Snow White and King Frederic. Besides, I only just discovered that the little voice in my head wasn't just my conscience yelling at me."

"You have a conscience?" Changkyun asked with a lift of the brow. His father cuffed him on the back of the head for that. "What? It's an honest question. Before he even had a hint that he may be an off-page, he would do anything to get his happy ending. Even if it meant, I would dance in iron shoes for eternity."

"I take it your images weren't as kind as mine?"

"You have no idea."

Wonho pried his brother off and looked at him with a sad smile. Ever since their abilities manifested, they knew their stories wouldn't be kind to them. Due to his true destiny as the Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, Wonho was destined to die by the Huntsman's ax. Their father could not bear the thought of both of his sons dying with the worse endings.

"I think we should get back to the task at hand," Wonho said as held out the book. "Changkyun, if you sign the book, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you don't give in to the dark. I believe that you'll be okay because our father raised you with so much kindness behind castle walls. You are more than your powers, remember that?"

Changkyun looked at the book and weighed his option. Sign the book and save Wonderland or lose Wonderland forever. Hyungwon, Minho, and Hyunjin would never get to see their mothers again. Ever After would never be this colorful world of music and magic. As he weighed his options, a familiar key appeared in his line of sight.

"I thought that it's impossible to sign outside of Legacy Day," Minhyuk whispered.

"As long as the book is out and in view of someone, it's always possible," Wonho said.

Taking the key, Changkyun unlocked the book and watched the pages move. The images were different. There was no image of her being homeless or dancing in the iron shoes. Instead, it showed him happy and with his family as they spellebrated Minhyuk coronation. There was no animosity between them, just happiness. If this was the destiny assigned to him, he'll gladly take it. The key turned into a quill in his hand and he signed the book.

A flash of light flashed through the room as purple smoke emerged from the book and engulfed the warlock. His eyes glowed purple as the smoke disappated. He didn't feel any different.

"Did it work?" He looked down at his hands and at everyone else. "What?" He was led to a mirror and was taken aback. His once raven hair was now a bright blonde and his eyes had a silver ring around it whenever his magic flared. "Does everyone get a makeover when they sign the book?"

"Not really," Bigby said. "Only if their destiny changes, I guess." His son sighed and smiled. "You're gonna need to glamour your appearance if we don't want Headmaster Grimm to realize that you signed."

"So, what does it mean for Wonderland?"

"The entrance I came through is closed now due to time and the curse, but if we time it right, we can get through the Well of Wonder when it shows itself in two weeks time," Wonho said. "You need to be in Wonderland to break the curse, so I suggest you get used to your new powers." Changkyun looked at himself in the mirror one more time, approving of his new look. "Now, does anyone have a place for me to stay? I didn't really think this through."

"If you shift, you can stay here as my 'familiar' or 'companion.' It'll really sell the Evil Prince thing."

The four of them nodded, deciding it to be the best idea. Wonho threw his disguise on Changkyun's bed and fully shifted into his wolf form. He was a large, white-and-grey wolf, taking after his father in more was than one. Once he was on all fours, Changyun stuffed his clothes in an unused backpack and help put it on his back.

"Do you want a collar or something? I can't really be there all the time to vouch for you," Changkyun created a ribbon from thin air, surprised that it actually worked, and tied it around his neck. "I haven't shifted in so long."

"You can shift too?" Minhyuk asked.

"Of course he can," Bigby said. "He was the sweetest cub. On top of his powers manifesting, his shift was out of control. The smallest sneeze had him switching from boy to cub. Did everything a newborn puppy could do."

"Thank you, dad!" Changkyun stood up straight, manifested another ribbon to shut him up. "I've worked hard to make sure those stories don't get out. I will not let all my hardwork be for naught." His eyes glowed with that newfound power. "Got it?"

Mr. BadWolf raised his hands in surrender. Though he wanted Changkyun to train his magic, now is not the ideal time nor is he the ideal subject.

"Well, we should get back to the festival and finish setting up," Minhyuk said, looking down at his watch. "So, glamour up and leash up your brother. We have a field trip to Heritage Hall and a float building meeting before dinner. Are you still doing a solo float?"

"I haven't even thought about a float. A lot's been going on if you haven't noticed." Wonho pushed his head into Changkyun's hand. "Why? Did you want to do a combined one?"

"Only if you want to. With everything I once knew being a lie, what's one more rebel in Ever After?"

-

Later that night, after the float meeting, Baba Yaga led the upcoming graduating class into the Enchanted Forest and into a clearing. She checked her watch and the sun before sighing.

"Students, I do apologize," she said. "It seems that I was early, but no big deal, Heritage Hall will be here in a minute."

"I forgot it only appears once a year for Thronecoming," Kihyun whispered.

"I heard that only those who signed the book are allowed to enter," Chan said as he turned to Changkyun. "Sorry, magic man."

"Leave him alone, Chan," Jisung, another Charming son, said as he shoved his brother's shoulder. "You don't want to be cursed early, do you?"

Changkyun flashed his eyes at the Charming boys with a smirk on his face. Wonho growled at the prince, and if a wolf could laugh, he'd be cackling.

The Hall appeared at the stroke of 6pm. A grand building stood in the clearing, gold accents shining in the setting sun. 

"Welcome to Heritage Hall, dedicated to those who came before you," Baba Yaga opened the doors and led the students inside, "the alumni of Ever After High! Prior to graduating, your parents were given the chance to leave gifts for any of their children who might attend this school. So, please feel free to explore and see what they left for you."

The class dispersed to find their fairy tales. Snow White and the Evil Queen were decorated next to each other. Snow left Minhyuk a mirror. He was a little confused since their castle was full of mirrors. The Evil Queen left two gifts, hinting that she knew that she'd have two sons. For Wonho, she left a wand in case his magical abilities manifested. For Changkyun, she left him her spellbook. Its pages were filled with spells and their own notes, and special spells were bookmarked.

"Wonho, look." He held the book down to his brother. "It's the Wonderland Curse. She wrote a reversal." The wolf nudged his hip in excitement. "This might actually work."

"Baba Yaga, why is the Big Bad Wolf's section here?" Jisung asked.

"I have no idea," she hummed. "I wasn't aware the Big Bad Wolf had any children. Perhaps, he does have children around the age of you all but they're just not here. The Big Bad Wolf is known to hide in the shadows, so that shouldn't be a surprise."  
Wonho curled around the Evil Queen's stand, hoping to hide himself from the crowd. Changkyun's eyes flashed as he cast an invisiblity spell on his brother. He watched as the crowd searched among them, but gave up moments later. He nudged his brother and smirked. These new powers are going to come in handy.

As everyone cleared out, the siblings stayed behind and went to their father's section. He left his sons a combined present - the last family photo they ever took together. Just days after Elvira gave birth to Changkyun, her fairy tale played out and the family was changed forever. Tucking it in his new spell book, Changkyun walked out with Wonho at his heels.

* * *

The next day, Changkyun and Minhyuk hid from Ever After with Giles Grimm in the catacombs. Wonho was helping Giles in his human form to reorganize the many books the man collected with his observation from his own looking glass.

"Mom really doesn't have anything to reverse a babble spell?" Wonho asked.

"She has everything from hexes to curses, but nothing on a babble spell." Changkyun sighed and shut the spellbook. "Headmaster Grimm must've created the spell himself, and that means he hid the reversal in a place no one would ever find it."

"Yes, but where pages and bookmarks are bound," Giles interrupted, "it is where freedom can truly be found."

"Maybe, I should've brought down those note cards on Riddlish Minho gave me because I have no idea what that means."

"Isn't it obvious? He's talking about Heritage Hall," Minhyuk said. The others looked at him surprised. "Oh come on. 'where pages and bookmarks are bound' is talking about where one chapter meets the next. Our parents gave us gifts at the Hall to help us on our journey. Besides there's a giant statue of the Storybook of Legends in the middle of the room, so that's obviously not just there for show."

"Who are you and what have you done with Minhyuk?"

"Come on." Minhyuk got up, grabbed both of the boys' hands, and dragged them along. "We'll be back, Mr. Giles.

As they ran through the halls, a knock resonated on a locker and earned the attention of some long ignored acquiantances and friends. They looked upon the scene with major confusion.

"Those two have been awfully chummy since that new guy showed up," Jooheon observed. "Who did they say he was again?"

"The White Rabbit's son," Kihyun said. "However, I spoke with Hyungwon about him and he said that no one's ever seen the White Rabbit's son. They knew he was there, but never saw his face."

"He's pretty buff for a bunny," Hyunwoo observed. "What do you think he benches?"

"I don't care what he benches. I just want to know why Minhyuk isn't pushing for a happy ending anymore. He was always so adamant about it," Jooheon said.

"I swear, all of summer break he couldn't stop talking about getting his happy ending."

"Why wait? Let's follow them."

Hyunwoo dragged the other two along and followed the other trio into the woods and into Heritage Hall. They all hid behidn the pillars to watch.

Changkyun was breathing heavy and his hands were shaky as the walked up to the recreation of the Storybook of Legend.

"You okay?" Minhyuk asked, holding his hands to still them.  
"Yeah, I had to put up my glamour in a rush since you pulled us out of the catacombs so fast. I may have all my powers now, but I've only had them for a day, Min." The warlock took his hands back and looked around. The curious trio hid from view. "I'm dropping it for now. Using so much for something so small is exhausting."

Jooheon let out a small gasp when the boy's hair switch from black to platinum. Not many people could pull of that color.

"Kyunnie, can you detect magic on the statue?"

With a nod, Changkyun's hands glowed a deep purple as the scanned. Everything seemed normal except for the glass pane on the front. It stood out like a sore thumb. Walking up to it, his hands continued to glow against the glass. A moment later, he fell through before popping out to pull in the other two.

"What just happened?" Kihyun asked.

"I don't know," Jooheon shrugged as he followed after, "but I'm gonna find out." The other two followed him through and the six of them found themselves surrounded by tall books. "Weird."

"What are you guys doing here?" Minhyuk exclaimed. "It's dangerous to be here."

"You're one to talk. You've been up in the clouds since True Hearts Day, and to be clear, many of the royals are worried about you."

"Well, I'm fine. Now go away."

"Hyuk," Changkyun stepped away from one of the books, "Whatever we're looking for might be in the books. We're gonna need to go in one by one."

"What are you looking for?" Kihyun asked.

"The best I can tell you is that in each book is a piece of paper that is absolutely necessary to someone's life. So either, you help us or walk out the window." The intruding three looked at each other before walking over a book, not wanting to face the wrath the Evil Prince. "Good choice. Now, be careful. We don't know whose story each of us are entering. Somewhere hidden in the story is a page. When you find it, take it and you'll be brought back here."

"Wait, what?" Jooheon exclaimed as everyone else went through. "Really? No one questioned the danger we're placing ourselves into?" He was talking to the air before a bright light engulfed him as he stepped into his book. "Well okay then."

* * *

As the light dissipated, Minhyuk found himself falling forward into sad. Pushing himself up, he looked behind him. A deep red tail was settled where his legs once were.

"I'm in Kihyun's story," he said with a gasp as he failed to drag himself up. "How does Kihyun deal with this?"

-

Wonho opened his eyes to find himself on a firey cliff, an old woman approaching him with an apple. Looking down, he saw several other people gazing up in worry.

"I'm in Minhyuk's story," he said, almost loosing his balance. "I don't recall the apple scene being this violent though."

-

Jooheon found himself in the woods, lost in the dark. While looking for a way out, he spotted a red cloak run pass the trees.

"I'm the Big Bad Wolf?" He asked himself. "Whose story is this?"

-

Changkyun woke up in the middle of a lake. Confused, he looked down and was surprised to find himself as a swan. The sun set as he freaked out and as the moon rose, he returned to human form. Checking over everything, making sure he had all of his limbs, he realized what was happening.

"There's another off-page with us."

-

Kihyun came too running up some stairs with eleven others. He was dressed extravagantly with golden shoes on his feet. They were worn through and almost fell off multiple times as they climbed.

"Come on! Hurry!" One of the others said, grabbing his hand. "We have to get back to the palace before that guy confesses about our escapade."

"Oh," Kihyun realized, "I'm in Hyunwoo's story."

-

Hyunwoo came face to face with a mirror in a dark room.

"It worked, your majesty," the mirror said. "The poison worked. Your fairy tale is almost over."

A light shone on a glass casket, and Minhyuk was laid inside with care. Walking over, Hyunwoo couldn't believe that Changkyun would do this. Looking down, he saw said boy's reflection instead of his own. There was remorse in his eyes. How could someone born to be evil have so much regret weigh on his shoulders?

\--

No one knew how much time had passed when they started to reappear in the Storybook of Legends. Minhyuk was the first, followed by Jooheon, with scrolls clasped in their hands as the books disappeared from behind them.

"My legs!" The prince chuckled. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see them again."

"Did you get Kihyun's story?" Jooheon asked and received a nod. "Lucky you got someone familiar. I got the Big Bad Wolf's story. Thinking about who's here, shouldn't I have gotten the White Rabbit's tale?"

"I don't know. Maybe one of the others got his story?"

Kihyun and Hyunwoo were the next to arrive, the dancing prince a little shaken from his story. Changkyun arrived a little panicked as he emerged from his book. He checked himself over and over, especially in his shoulders.

"You okay?" Minhyuk asked.

"I swear that I got shot as I found the page!" The warlock fell to the floor and breathed heavily.

"Did you get my story?" Jooheon asked. "Dad always mentions something being shot at him during the climax of the story."

"I wasn't your dad, Jooheon. I was in your mom's shoes." He looked at him. "Why didn't you tell anyone you were an off-page?" Jooheon remained silent. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, but it would've saved me a lot of headache just now." He looked around once more, did a count of everyone, and sat upright.

"Where's Wonho?"

"He must be in your story," Minhyuk said.

"No," Hyunwoo interjected, "I was and I had no idea you had such heavy weight on your shoulders."

"That's not something we should worry about right now," Changkyun said. "We'll talk about it afterwards. The only explanation left is your story, Minhyuk. I think I have an idea of where the book dropped him. I'll be right back."

Changkyun took off into the only book left and fell face first into the dirt. As he thought, the book dropped his brother in the apple delivery. Wonho was close to tipping as he walked up to the old woman.

"Hey," he said to gain her attention.

She turned to face him and he wrapped her in his magic. Taking this as a sign, Wonho ran pass and grabbed the page from her basket. He started to glow as he grabbed the warlock and they were transported out of the story. They fell in a heap on the floor, Wonho's rabbit ear disguise flew off as he broke the fall.

"You okay?" He asked Changkyun.

"Yeah, your giant muscles cushioned the impact. Wolf genes really kicked in for you, huh?" The boy laughed.

"You have no idea." Minhyuk helped the brothers up and gave the eldest his disguise back. "There's no use for this anymore. Once the spell's broken, Jungkook is going to want to come topside to see his friends again. I shouldn't be using his title anymore."

"Is the Big Bad Wolf ready to come home?"

Wonho pulled his brother into a headlock, smiling as he heard him laugh.

"Wait a spell," Kihyun said. "So, you're not actually the White Rabbit's son?" He shook his head. "So who's son are you?"

"Kihyun, this is my older brother," Changkyun pried himself out of the headlock, "Hoseok. He prefers to go by Wonho, though."

"The Evil Queen had two sons? So, are you half brothers?"

"Nope. We're as full-blooded as a pair of siblings can be."

"As touching as this is," Minhyuk said, a bit of urgency in his voice, "we needed these pages for a reason. So, I suggest we get a move on."

"Right. Let's go." 

* * *

Back in the catacombs, Giles Grimm gathered the pages and they all watched as they turned into a single sheet. He handed it to Changkyun to read.

"He wants you to cast it," Minhyuk said.

"Oh right." Changkyun cleared his throat. _"Speech return, words you say; break this curse for our new day!"_ The page dissolved into light and surrounded the man. The group were silent in waiting. "Well?"

"I do believe it worked." Everyone smiled. "I thank all of you, all seven of you."

"Seven?" Wonho asked. "Mr. Grimm, there's only six of us."

"I don't believe so. Hyungwon, come on out." The grin appeared next to Minhyuk first, scaring the heir of Ever After. "All at once, young man."

"You're no fun, Mr. Grimm," Hyungwon said, that grin turning into a smirk.

"It's thanks to Hyungwon that these three," he gestured to Kihyun, Hyunwoo, and Jooheon, "were aware you three were up to anything." Looking at the group, he smiled. "Destiny is not set in stone anymore. It has never been set in stone. Coincidences happen all the time. Fate only interferes from time to time, leading us in the right direction. Several of you have never gone by your stories since you were born, and you're all still here."

"Then why would Headmaster Grimm say our stories would go poof if we didn't follow?" Hyunwoo asked.

"Much like Changkyun, I respected our fairy tale past but I believed that each of us should be able to write our own destinies. My brother was not happy about that, and as we got older, we fought more until he cursed be with that babble spell and imprisoned me here."

"It's lifted now. You can leave," Changkyun smiled.

"Like I said, thank you to all of you." Giles directed the seven to the exit. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, it is past curfew and all of you should get to bed. The Spring Festival begins tomorrow as well as float building. So, get to rest and I'll see you all soon to see how we move forward."

* * *

Wonho collapsed on Changkyun's bed as the others got ready. He flipped through his mother's spellbook, curious on the dormant magic ability that laid in him.

"Do you wanna take some lessons?" Changkyun asked, jumping on the bed next to him.

"I'd love to, but my powers never made an appearance while I was in Wonderland. There's a chance that I just don't have any." Wonho shut the book and set it on the nightstand. "My wolf side is much more dominant."

"But if I can still have some wolf abilities, you can still have some magic. Maybe not like mine, but enough to do simple spells."

"He has a point," Minhyuk said. "Up until I found about my Wonderlandian side, I thought I was just normal prince. Then I realize that the voices in my head aren't my conscience, but the narrators of this story. So, maybe you just need a little push."

"Do you need me to zap you?" Changkyun sat up, creating a small bolt between his thumb and forefinger.

"We are not zapping anyone, Changkyun."

"You're no fun," he pouted. "I'm going to bed."

The other two laughed as he shifted into his own wolf form. It was smaller than Wonho's due to the power imbalance, but it was still as strong. His coat was a couple shades lighter than his brother's, a little more on the light grey side. After gathering his pajamas and putting them on the side, Wonho shifted as well and curled against him as Minhyuk hit the lights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Current Cast:  
> Monsta X  
> Changkyun/I.M - Son of the Evil Queen and the Big Bad Wolf  
> Minhyuk - Son of Snow White  
> Jooheon - Son of Beauty and the Beast  
> Kihyun - Son of the Little Mermaid  
> Hyunwoo/Shownu - Son of the 12th Dancing Princess  
> Hyungwon - Son of the Chesire Cat  
> Hoseok/Wonho - Son of the Big Bad Wolf and the Evil Queen
> 
> Stray Kids  
> Minho - Son of the Mad Hatter  
> Jeongin/I.N - Son of Pinocchio  
> Hyunjin - Son of the Red Queen/Queen of Hearts  
> Chan - Son of King Charming  
> Jisung - Son of King Charming
> 
> BTS  
> Hoseok/JHope - Son of Cupid  
> Namjoon/RM - Son of the Huntsman


	5. Skip to the Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. It's the end....of the main story. I'll be writing more, but the main story is done. There's a lot of characters I haven't introduced yet and I REALLY want to!
> 
> If you are familiar with Ever After High, the next addition I plan to write centers around Epic Winter. I'd love to hear your guesses over who the child of the Snow Queen is!

The next morning, the trio worked on their fairy tale float after the Mad Hatter opened the festival with his kingdom-wide tea party. Changkyun used his magic to bring up boxes and boxes of decorations that Wonho left behind. Due to both being comfortable as rebels, the float didn't reflect their conjoined story but what they wanted their story to be. Two thrones sat at opposite ends of the float, decorated to each princes liking.

"You're fans are back," Changkyun chuckled, gesturing to the amount of females who gathered to watch his brother. "I told you that going shirtless would attract attention."

"I got nothing to lose, so what of it?" Wonho turned around and gave them a wave, swearing that at least two of them fainted.

"I'm sure the bunny ears are helping," he laughed as they called it quits for the day. "Put your shirt on. We gotta talk to the others about everything."

"Awww, but I got fans."

"You're gonna get your booty beat if you don't get a move on."

* * *

The group gathered in the catacombs. Kihyun providing snacks for the seven of them and Giles, if the man felt like it.

"So, what do we do now?" Hyunwoo asked. "Chankgyun's never gonna sign the real one if the one we all signed is fake."

"About that," the warlock said, taking a bite of the meal. "I already did. That's why I got a makeover."

"How come you got a makeover and none of us did?" Jooheon asked.

"Because I'm the only one who signed the real one so far, duh."

"And why is that?"

"Because I'm gonna break the Wonderland curse."

"What?" Hyungwon interjected. "Your mother put that curse into effect because she couldn't conquer it. You think that by lifting it, Wonderland is going to give you praise?"

"Do you really think me that shallow, Hyungwon?" Changkyun set down his food. "I refused to sign the fake book because I believed that even if I share my mom's fairy tale, I can change it to find my happy ending on my own terms. I'm not looking for praise or recognition. I'm just trying to write the errors my mother created when the story went wrong."

The four outer members looked upon the trio in shock. Wonho had his arm around his brother as Minhyuk tried to calm him down. Changkyun's eyes had flared a shocking white as he spoke, a power not seen in magic users since the fairy godmother and her daughter.

"When you say that 'the story went wrong,'" Kihyun asked, carefully, "who's story are you referring to?"

"Our story," Minhyuk sighed before launching into his explanation. "The tale of Snow White has been a lie from the start. Though King Frederic woke up my mom, her heart belonged to another. From what I've been told and can tell, my mother was pregnant with me when the story began. Wonho was already born."

"Stories back then weren't as forced as they are now," Wonho explained. "In the years I spent in Wonderland, I studied the Storybook of Legends. The pictures you all saw on Legacy Day were fabricated by your headmaster to ensure that you signed the book. When it came time for Kyun to sign, he believed that all of the bad imagery would make him sign and ensure that no one would ever go off-page."

"But all three of you are off-pages," Hyunwoo pointed out, "why not just reveal the truth? Show people what straying from a story can do?"

"Because it will cause hysteria. It's better to introduce the concept slowly before moving onto the heavy stuff. That's why we have a plan for the Thronecoming parade." The brothers separated. "From what I heard, Pinocchio's son got a pair of revealer rays. When they're on, they tell the truth about anything in sight. We need to make sure he's at the front of the crowd at the end of the parade."

"Why?"

"Changkyun's going to have a change of heart." The trio smirked, knowing well enough that this plan would expose Headmaster Grimm for the manipulating man he is. "He's gonna sign the book."

* * *

Thronecoming was fast approaching which meant the plan was too. However, Minhyuk was far too busy with his duties as Prince and Class President to remember it. So when Changkyun knocked on the door of the meeting he was having with Headmaster Grimm one day before, he was surprised.

"Headmaster Grimm?" Changkyun said as he peeked in. "Is now a bad time?"

"I'm afraid so. Though you've peaked my curiousity, and made me wonder," he replied, "what would have you barge in so unexpectedly?" Changkyun just lifted his hand to show him. "My goodness!"

Looking back, Minhyuk gasped at the sight. Changkyun's hand was fading in and out of existance, along with most of his arm.

"I think you were right about me not signing." The warlock concentrated to will his hand back into form. "Since the book is on display during Thronecoming, do you think I can sign the book?"

"O--of course! Better late than never, right?" Both princes nodded sheepishly. "Then, it's settled. You'll sign it at the end of the Thronecoming parade tomorrow. Your Highness, I do hate to cut our meeting short but I must arrange all things necessary for his signing tomorrow."

"Of course, Headmaster Grimm. I do believe we've covered everything necessary. I'll be on my way," he stood and wrapped an arm around Changkyun. "Let's go. We have much to discuss as well." The two princes walked out of the office before Minhyuk started to check him over in a panic. "Why are you disappearing? I thought you signing the real one would prevent this?"

"Hold the page," Changkyun laughed. "Planning's really thrown you off the path, hasn't it? I'm fine. It's a part of the plan remember."

"Plan?" It took him but a moment, but then he remembered. "Oh. Yeah. You had me really worried."

"Everything's fine. Now come on. Everyone's waiting at the Well of Wonder. You ready for a field trip?"

\--

It was mid-day as the group walked through the forest, following Wonho as he tracked the Well. The Well could only be found by a special map that only Wonderlandians were gifted at graduation before they went topside.

"It should be right about....here," Wonho smiled as they turned into Swan's Creek Clearing. "Ready to go swimming?"

"Is it going to make me sprout a tail?" Kihyun asked. "If so, someone's gonna have to carry me for at least ten minutes once we get there."

"It shouldn't, but you never know."

The group looked at the group, noticing the unsure looks on their faces. He caught Changkyun's gaze and nodded to the well. The boy smiled and took off running. He leaped over the well's wall and down he went.  
"Was he always like this?" Minhyuk asked.

"It was worse when he was a cub. No sense of safety. Any way," he took off after his brother and leapt into the well, "see you down there!"

The remaining five looked at each other in shock before Hyungwon made the first move. The cat smirked and followed the brothers down the well. One by one, the rest trickled down, down, down to Wonderland.

The Well of Wonder was as beautiful inside as it was out. The water criss-crossed into each other, creating different waterslides as they traveled them. Cries of fear and laughter were heard all around as they reached the bottom.

Minhyuk was the last to land, face first onto a tile floor. Looking up, he spotted everyone else and was pleased to see that Kihyun didn't sprout his tail like he feared. Everyone's outfits had gotten a makeover as well, now fitting the quirkiness of the land.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Wonho said, his white rabbit disguise dialed up to a hundred, "welcome to Wonderland. Come there are some people you should meet."

-

The group walked the winding paths as they moved further into the kingdom. Many of the flowers greeted Wonho as he passed, gushing over him much to Changkyun's amusement. They walked into the red court, Seokjin - another son of the Queen of Hearts - greeted them at the gate.

"When Wonho told me of his plan," the red prince said as he led him through the castle, "I believed him to be crazy, that there was no way he could convince the son of the Evil Queen to reverse the curse. Imagine my surprise when he says, 'Well, he's my brother. So I'm sure he'll listen.'"

"It is a little hard to believe," Changkyun admitted, "but I am not my mother, and quite frankly, neither was my mother. Though hard to believe, she wasn't always like this. She's really a great mother."

"Changkyun, you're not the only one who has to live with the rumor that their mother is crazy. Hyunjin, Seungmin, and I have been dealing with that since we were children. In the end, the only thing that matters is what the family thinks of her."

Minhyuk listened in to the conversation and frowned. His mother had been so caught up about what the public thought of her that she sacrificed her own happiness to please them. Yet with the possibility of changing Ever After for the better, would that mean Snow White would be happy again?

"I have a question," Jooheon said. "If you're here and Hyunjin is topside, who's following the Red Queen's destiny?"

"The Storybook of Legends has no power down here," Seokjin explained. "Wonderland is a separate world from Ever After, meaning that there's no reason for them to sign anything." He bowed to passing Court members as they approached the throneroom. "The only one who'd possibly sign is Yoongi since he's the son of Alice and of Ever After."

"So, no one's bound by destinies down here?"

"Nope. None of us have powers like most of you do upstairs with the exception of you, Hyungwon." The cat grinned. "So we all just function like a normal court. If anything, we're a normal kingdom seen through the eyes of a madman." They stopped outside of the throneroom's doors, and Seokjin turned to them.

"As we enter, please forgive any madness that spills from my mother's mouth. The curse really took a lot out of her."  
With everyone nodding, they entered and found the Queen of Hearts sitting her throne with a pig under her feet. She looked over the many documents that were handed to her before she spotted her son and his friends.

"Yes, my son?" She questioned. "What could I do for you?"

"Actually, Your Majesty," Wonho started. "Its what we can do for you."

"Ah Wonho, a pleasure to see you again. Though," she scanned the group, "I do not recognize your friends. What part of Wonderland are you from? As one of its two queens, I should know everyone."

"They're from upstairs, Your Majesty."

With a look of shock, she studied them more closely before standing from her throne. She walked down and approached Changkyun, stopping in front of him.

"You look just like your mother," she whispered, her voice gentle, "before whatever happened turned her into that monster that cursed our land. Is it time?"

Changkyun nodded, holding the spell book up. "Come along then. It's best to cast it from the tallest tower."

-

As they climbed to the top, the group noticed a large gathering at the base of the palace.

"News sure does travel fast," Hyunwoo said.

"Well, things have been pretty dull," Seokjin said. "We take entertainment where we can get it. Jungkook is already hosting a party downstairs."

"As expected," Wonho chuckled. "Though it did take him longer than I thought. He's usually planning the party before it's even conceived."

"He woke up late."

"Anyway," Changkyun said as they reached the top, "I think it's time to free Wonderland." Opening the spellbook, he turned to the reversal spell and let his gaze linger on the photo. He hoped that once this was all over, it would go back to the way it was. Taking a breath, he began the spell. "From bad to good; to better from worse; from Wonderland, I now remove this curse!"

The warlock's eyes shined silver as magic emanated from his hands and shot into the sky. The once swirling and purple clouds that covered Wonderland disappeared and revealed the pink tinted sky. Everyone could hear cheers ring out from all around the land as long closed portals started opening again. The Wonderlandians were now free to move in and out of Wonderland at will.

"Nice job," Wonho said as he clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Ready for the next phase?"

"Not really." Changkyun shut the spell book and turned to the group. "Quite frankly, I'd rather go home and talk to mom. There's some questions only she can answer right now." 

"Isn't your mom trapped in the mirror realm?" Jooheon asked. "How are you gonna talk to her?"

"My mom is in every mirror. I can talk to her through the one I have in my dorm."

"Wait," Minhyuk shook his head, "your mom's been in your mirror ever since you moved in? She's been watching us?"

"Of course not. There's a special knock combination I have to do to transfer the window to mine. The main one is up in the tallest tower back at Ever After, the one where they store all of the decorations for Legacy Day. I get to see her once a year per Headmaster Grimm's permission."

"And he didn't even think that she can go to any mirror?"

"This is man who will do anything to make sure everyone's following through with their fairy tales. I doubt he'd care about mom popping in to say hello every once in a while."

* * *

Once they all made their way topside, they separated to go about their business. Hyungwon went to tell the others about the way back to Wonderland while the other three went to speak with Jeongin to make sure her was front and cneter at the signing tomorrow.

The remaining three entered the dorm and went over to Changkyun's mirror. He knocked seven times on the glass in a star formation and twice on the frame. A gray swirl appeared behind the glass before the Evil Queen appeared, smiling at the sight of her son.

"Hi mom," Changkyun smiled.

"Hello Changkyun, how's my little raven?" She said sweetly before spotting Wonho. "Wonho, my dear cub! It's been so long since I've seen you! How have you been?"

"We've been doing as well as we can be, mom, but that's not what we're to talk about." Wonho walked up next to his brother. The Queen smiled at her sons. "First off, Changkyun lifted the Wonderland curse."

"I'm proud of you. If Headmaster Grimm had not put me in here, I would've lifted it three months ago; right after Legacy Day, because I knew from the start that you wouldn't sign the book under his terms. After all, you do take after me."

"Mom, when you signed the book," Changkyun started, "is that what set off your own madness?"

"Unfortunately, no. I signed the book when I was your age, and lived a pretty normal princess life until a couple days after you were born." The Queen conjured up a chair to sit on. "Snow White just wanted to get the over and done with so that her and Hatter could live in Wonderland. She never wanted to be queen. So she turned to Headmaster Grimm to curse me into enacting the story."

"Wait," Minhyuk rose from his bed and walked over, "my mom had Headmaster Grimm curse you?"

"Ah, hello Minhyuk. I see you've grown as well, but yes he did. I was already going off page when I married Bigby and was pregnant with Wonho. Snow wanted the story to go through because she was already pregnant with you, but I didn't want to until Wonho was born. However, due to her status as the heir to throne, she was pressured to have it play out before you were born. I assume that you know that Frederic is not your father?"

"I found out a couple weeks ago, and I heard you say that mother was dating the Hatter at the time. Your Majesty, is my father the Mad Hatter?"

"Yes," she stated. "Your mother had such high hopes that he'd be her waking kiss, but he was not. She was devestated." Minhyuk's shoulders dropped and he leaned against Changkyun for comfort. "I'm sorry that you had to hear it this way."

"It's okay. At least, everything makes since now. Wait," he gasped, "Mr. Hatter must've moved on. Minho's his son."

"No, he didn't. Minho is not a half-brother to you. He's your full-blooded brother." The trio was confused. "After I put the Wonderland curse in place, Hatter came topside with the few Wonderlandians he could take with him. He had no children at the time, but reunited with Snow in secret."

"I mean, if you think about," Wonho said, "you guys have the same smile and energy. It's kind of hard to believe that you're not related."

"Good to see that you still have your father's humor, Wonho."

"As touching as this is," Changkyun snapped his fingers to bring everything back, "can we rewind to where mom said that Headmaster Grimm cursed her?"

"Right, I apologize but we can continue that conversation another time," she nodded. "Anyway, when Headmaster Grimm cursed me, I don't remember much but I do remember trying to hurt all of you. That's why your father took you away and I sent Wonho to Wonderland when I fought against the curse. The curse wore off several months ago, but my powers are dampened while I'm in here. So, I cannot escape on my own terms."

"What if we broke you out? Can it be any mirror or does it have to be the main one?"

"I believe any mirror will suffice as long as I am in that one when it is smashed."

The brothers looked at each other before nodding. Changkyun dragged Minhyuk away as Wonho grabbed a chair. The Queen backed away from the glass as it was smashed. A purple mist came from the broken frame as the Evil Queen emerged. Her intimidating outfit, headpiece and all, faded into a simple purple dress and tiara.

She looked down at her hands, smiling as they glowed pink with power, before looking at her sons. Opening her arms wide, her boys engulfed her in a tight hug. Looking at the son of Snow White, she held out her arm to him.

"You too, Minhyuk," she said.

Chuckling, the prince joined the hug and felt safe. He thought about how he was nearly his own mother at the beginning of the year, trying to force Changkyun to be evil when he had such a caring heart. Now that he sees where he got it from, it makes sense. No one is inherently evil, it's how they're raised.

-

That night, the Queen family made their way into the woods. They approached a simple cabin, smoke rising from its chimney.

"You okay, mom?" Wonho asked.

"As good as I can be," she answered. "Your father wasn't even allowed to visit. The only times I ever saw him was when Changkyun figured out the knock combination. I'm not even sure he still loves me."

"Of course he still loves you" Changkyun assured. "He wouldn't have told me all about you as I grew up if he didn't. He's waited for you."

The Queen was never so unsure of anything, but she trusted her sons.

Wonho walked up to the front door, knocking three times. The door opened to Bigby Wolf in his human form, nursing a mug of coffee in his hand. At the sight of the group, the mug fell from his hands and shattered across the steps. Walking forward, he took Elvira in his arms and held her tight. She held him just as tight and tears poured from her eyes.

"I thought I'd never see you again," Bigby whispered.

"Neither did I," she cried. "You did a good job raising Changkyun."

"I wish I could've raised both, but I do understand what needed to be done." The two separated and Bigby gestured to their sons. "But who's to say that we can't cherish what we have now?"

The boys joined the hug before they entered the cabin and spent the night as a family for the first time in a long time.

* * *

Rising early, Changkyun left the cabin to get ready for the Thronecoming parade. It was nice to see his family as a whole once again, but it was time to turn the page on Headmaster Grimm's control over Ever After.

The warlock arrived at the float, dressed in his Thronecoming outfit and his glamour spell in effect. Minhyuk smiled as he arrived, tossing him one of the prop apples.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he said.

"Wrong fairy tale, Your Majesty," Changkyun smiled. "Everything in place?"

"As far as the others told me, Jeongin will be front row with next years graduates. He'll be able to see the fake."

"Let's just hope he speaks up. Otherwise, we failed."

"Everything'll be fine. We know the truth and if we have to live out the tale, I'm changing it when I take the crown. I'll reveal everything then."

"It might be too late though."

"Nothing's ever too late." He held a hand. "Come on. The parade's gonna start in a few, might as well take your seat."

-

The parade wasn't all the previous classes made it to be. Changkyun got bored of the smiling and waving by a mile in. He looked over at Minhyuk, not surprised that the prince was eating up the attention. It was nice to see that all of the revelations didn't change the Heir's personality and attitude.   
As the floats settled at the steps of Ever After, the warlock spotted a stage waiting for him. The "Storybook of Legends" waited as well though it wasn't as intimidating. Headmaster Grimm stood there, a smirk on his face.

Disembarking the float, Changkyun felt all eyes on him as he climbed the stage. Using his magic, he faked the fading of his arm again and hid his face. Headmaster Grimm stepped up and called for attention from the crowd.

"If you all remember," he said as the princes stood behind him, "a small hiccup occured on Legacy Day. I am happy to report that the issue has been solved. Today, the Son of the Evil Queen pledges his destiny and signs the book." The crowd cheered as Changkyun walked up, and the Headmaster leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I'm glad to see you've come to your senses."

Changkyun went through the same motions; key, images, and quill. Looking out at the crowd, he spotted his parents watching with sadness. He saw Jeongin in the front row, repeatedly removing and placing his glasses, with a confused face.

"Wait a splinter," the son of Pinocchio cried out. "That's not the real Storybook of Legends!"

The crowd gasped at the accusation.

"Changkyun, this better not be a ploy by you to avoid signing again," Headmaster Grimm seemed to threaten.

"But Headmaster Grimm," Jeongin said, "my father's revealer rays cannot tell a lie. That is a book under a glamour spell to look like the book."

"Listen to the kid, Milton," a velvet voice said as it broke through the crowd. "After all, I hid the real one for several years."

The Evil Queen walked through the crowd, shocking everyone. She looked like a normal princess, dressed like Queen White herself. She didn't look evil or power mad, but like a mother.

"How did you get out of the mirror?!" He said, shocked.

"I would have to thank my sons for that. You really should've checked that your mirror prison was a hundred precent secure." She stepped up on the stage. "If I were you Headmaster Grimm, I wouldn't underestimate the power of an off-page."

A flash of lighting hit the middle of the stage, scaring everyone away. The crowd started to run away, fearing that she was using her powers in an attempt to take over Ever After, but were surprised to see that it was Changkyun's doing. In the lighting's place, Wonho stood with Bigby BadWolf with both of their arms crossed.

"I believe you've met the rest of my family," Elvira chuckled. "I went off page while I was still in school and you were just starting off as Headmaster. I wish I could say that I liked you as Headmaster, but I prefered your brother more. He encouraged us to follow our hearts until you cursed him to take his place."  
"Headmaster Grimm," one reporter on the scene cried out, "is this true?"

"Of course not!" He denied. "My brother stepped down from his position and passed it over to me, fairly."

"That's not how I remember it going," Giles Grimm said as he stepped out from behind Minhyuk. "The minute I spoke about the fairy tales being guidelines, you cursed me with a babble spell and sent me to live in the catacombs. You were never one to be of any fun. Going by the book made you the most hated villain during our school years, making you even more feared that the Evil Queen's lineage."

The crowd didn't know who to believe at this point, their eyes darting back and forth between the brothers before eventually settling on the Queen Family. The Evil Queen was checking on her boys, including Minhyuk into the mix as well, as Mr. BadWolf stood as protector over them.

"You once said that fairy tales go poof if destinies aren't followed or the book isn't singed," Giles continued. "Yet look the people, so many of your own students are off-pages and they live as any normal being. They live and love like any other human. There is no enemy but you, Milton."

Changkyun looked at the crowd once more, surprised to see more approaching the stage. Jooheon was the first to climb up, standing with Changkyun and solidifying his spot as an off-page. Hyungwon was next, dressed in his DJ garb before removing his mask to push his point forward. Wonho shifted into his wolf form and stood between the students and the corrupt Headmaster as Minhyuk took Changkyun's hand.

"Had it not been for my mother's admittance," Minhyuk started, "I would have never known that I myself was an off-page. I would've never known of the family I was torn from. For over a decade, I have never known my real father or of the brother I never knew I had because of you. My mother gave up her happiness because you put it into her head that going off script would end in disaster, but look at us now, we're still here."

"Our destinies are not for you to control anymore," Changkyun let go of Minhyuk's hand to let them glow. His eyes shone silver as the real Storybook of Legends floated out from his float. "I think it's time we shelf this book, once and for all." 

The Book fell apart page by page, each respective chapter flying to their fairy tale. The students were now in control of their own destinies, rendering Milton powerless over them. 

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" He yelled. "By giving them control, you've erased any hope of the stories going according to script. They may never get they're happily ever afters!"

"AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO NEVER HAD THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE?!" The Evil Queen retaliated. "My fate was to rot in a dungeon for eternity, but I had found love prior to signing and playing my part. When you found out, you took it away from me. You cursed me into being the monster I never wanted to be. You ripped me away from my family when it was just starting to grow." Her eyes glowed purple as her rage grew strong. "Maybe you should learn how it felt. What do you say Kyunnie?" Her son looked to her, sparks in their eyes. "A decade or two in the mirror realm ought to teach him a lesson."

"Isn't that a little extreme?" Minhyuk asked.

"Not when he's the reason why I was there in the first place, applecake."

With another flash of light, the Queen and Changkyun banished the corrupt headmaster into the mirror that rested on the Princes' float. When the lights died down, Milton Grimm was nowhere to be seen and the crowd grew quiet.

Minhyuk ran up to Elvira and Changkyun, pulling them into a tight hug. Both reciprocated with smiles on their faces as the rest of the Queen-BadWolf family joined in before separating as a large limo pulled up to the scene. The crowd parted as the backdoor opened to reveal the Queen herself, Snow White. She charged up to the stage and pulled Elvira into a hug.

"Good to see you again, Snow," Elvira smiled. "It's been a while."

"I didn't want to believe it when it was reported to me," she said. "I just had to come and see for myself. All to say that I'm sorry."

"I know, I know. You were upset and desperate. I would've done the same." The Witch looked around, realizing that the crowd was watching the scene. "I believe that we should take this inside."

-

The group made their way into the now vacant headmaster's office. The mirror from the float was brought in as well and set against one of the wall before Giles put a sheet over it. He mentioned that it would go into storage down below after everything was settled. He left the room to allow the family privacy and to do some damage control, but before he left, Snow asked him something and received a nod. Then, he was gone.

The Queens leaned against the desk as their family gathered around them. Minhyuk sat on the floor, leaning his head against Snow's leg, smiling as she patted his hair down. Changkyun and Wonho sat on the armrest of the chair Bigby sat on.

"I suppose there are many questions that need to be answered," Snow sighed. "Primarily, how I let a happy ending cause me to go blind. To that I say, I only wanted Milton to spell Elvira to the poisoning. I never intended for it to go that far, but he believed otherwise. I tried to make him take it back once the story was over since Changkyun was just born when it happened. I didn't want to rid a child of their mother. I of all people know what that feels like." Minhyuk reached a hand up to comfort his mother, returning the smile he received. "The curse Milton placed on Elvira was supposed to be for a month at the most, but I was tricked into approving a several year long spell. That's why she was locked away. Everything she did while under the spell was to cause Ever After to fear her." Snow looked to Elvira. "I'm truly sorry that my desperation led to this path."

"You have nothing to apologize for," the Evil Queen said. "You just wanted a happily ever after like anyone else in this town. It was Milton's doing that ruined everything. The boys were only three when it all happened. It was sad that I had to separate Wonho from his best friend."

"If we had met before," Mihyuk started, "why don't I remember?"

"Because our family was off-page. It was best to go off the grid until we could figure out what path he'd follow. As the son of the Evil Queen and the Big Bad Wolf, I didn't know which we'd have to teach him to control. So with the last bit of sanity I had left, I erased your memory and took Wonho to Wonderland to hide the book."

"Our family missed out on a lot of things due to Milton's curse," Bigby interjected, resting a hand on his boys' knees. "We didn't get to raise our eldest son ourselves, and Elvira missed many of Changkyun's firsts. First steps, first words, first shift, and first spell, all missed because we didn't have access to her mirror."

Elvira was close to tears. Changkun noticed and got up to pull her into a hug, geturing his brother to do the same. The Queen was soon smothered under the love of her sons, laughing as they crushed their faces against her arms. Thought both towered over her, they did everything they could to make her feel like she had time with her little boys.

"It's hard to believe that these boys are the children of two of the most feared villains in all of Ever After," Snow White smiled.

The office door opened once more and the Hatter family peeked through the door. The room grew quiet as the they realized what was happening.

"Maxwell?" Snow whispered, pulling Minhyuk to his feet.

"Snow?" The Hatter spoke, stepping fully into the room. "You requested me and Minho to be here?"

"Ye--yes, I did. Um...." The Queen-BadWolf family shuffled to a corner of the room to allow them to talk. "There's someone you should meet."

The Hatter family stepped in and Minhyuk could swear he'd never seen Minho so confused. 

"Is he--?" The Hatter couldn't finish his sentence.

"Hi dad," the prince simply said.

The man would never admit it, but he cried many tears as he pulled him in for hug. For over a decade, the Hatter had a feeling that there was something Snow kept from him when her fairy tale played out. However, like the rest of the kingdom, he believed Minhyuk to be Frederic's son.

"Um, your majesty? Is he really my brother?" Minho asked shyly as he approached the Queen.

"He is, Minho. He's as much your brother as he is my son," she answered. "And much like him, half of your parentage was kept secret. The two of you are not half brothers, but full brothers."

"Why'd you let dad raise me alone?"

"I was finalizing my divorce with Frederic when he fled from the Wonderland Curse. I was seeing him in secret when we found out I was pregnant with you. To the public, I lost you when in reality I had you and gave you to your father. I visited you in secret until you were six, then I had to stop due to the court finding out about you." She pushed the hair out of his eyes. "I wanted to be apart of your life so much, but I couldn't."

"Why didn't Minhyuk know about me?"

"He was living with his grandfather as the legal materials were being handled. So, he never knew he was going to be an older brother."

The family reunions pulled at everyone's heartstrings. The White-Hatter family got to know each other all over again, and the Queen-BadWolf family became whole once more. The Queen's sons wouldn't let her go until she felt better, much to Bigby's amusement. 

Changkyun looked over the scene. None of this would've happened if he didn't stand up for what he believed. Sometimes going off script is exactly what one needs to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Monsta X  
> Changkyun/I.M - Son of the Evil Queen and the Big Bad Wolf  
> Minhyuk - Son of Snow White and the Mad Hatter  
> Jooheon - Son of Beauty and the Beast  
> Kihyun - Son of the Little Mermaid  
> Hyunwoo/Shownu - Son of the 12th Dancing Princess  
> Hyungwon - Son of the Chesire Cat  
> Hoseok/Wonho - Son of the Big Bad Wolf and the Evil Queen
> 
> Stray Kids  
> Minho - Son of the Mad Hatter and Snow White  
> Jeongin/I.N - Son of Pinocchio  
> Hyunjin - Son of the Red Queen/Queen of Hearts  
> Chan - Son of King Charming  
> Jisung - Son of King Charming
> 
> BTS  
> Hoseok/JHope - Son of Cupid  
> Namjoon/RM - Son of the Huntsman  
> Seokjin/Jin - Son of the Red Queen/Queen of Hearts  
> Yoongi/Suga - Son of Alice (mentioned)  
> Jungkook - Son of the White Rabbit (mentioned)


End file.
